This Is a Real Estate Pro’s Favorite Section of Costco
If I’m being honest, I’m tired of the same-old, same-old home staging tricks I see when I tour open houses. (And it’s one of my favorite things to do, so I see a lot.) Towels rolled into a little pyramid is great but something more exciting or colorful makes for a vast improvement.
I recently attended an open house with an oversized stoplight showcased in the living room — it livened up the space in a really unique way. That being said, a huge stoplight might be a bit on the expensive side. So I spoke to a home stager and a real estate agent to see where they go at everyone’s favorite discount warehouse, Costco, to get fun products for home showings that you can use in your own home.
Plants and Pots
For stagers who want to put plants around a home for sale, it’s best to skip the local nursery where things are going to be pricey. Instead, they head to the plants and pots section at Costco.
“My hack is to purchase a few because they’re such amazing prices. Then I take it all apart and add a few more items for my own custom front porch pots,” says home stager Kelly Zabel, owner of A Home Revival.
Zabel has seen a wide variety of options at the store, including a six-foot fiddle leaf fig plant just this year. “You never know what you’ll find,” she says.
Fresh Fruit
Fruit doesn’t just have to be for eating — it can also be a great decoration. As many Costco fans know, the fruit at the store is not only delicious, but also pretty attractive. (Even attractive enough to be pure decoration.)
“I often like to decorate with fruit, so it is a great place to get apples, oranges, and lemons,” says agent Parisa Afkhami of Coldwell Banker Warburg.
You can even get a few, cut some up, and make potpourri or a little simmer pot for when you have guests over. And once they start to go overripe, try your hand at making a mixed fruit cobbler or pie.
Blankets and Throws
Afkhami also likes to check out the blankets and throws when looking for items to stage a home with. It may seem like a pretty standard product, but throws can inject vibrant color and fun patterns into a home — especially if you’re using them as an accent on a modern and monochromatic palette.
Remember, too, that blankets and throws don’t have to be relegated to the bedroom. Toss matching ones on couches and chairs for a cohesive splash of color throughout the entire house. No matter where you place them, though, don’t overlook the blankets aisle at Costco, per the experts.